Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has launched a social network called The People’s Operator (TPO) that aims to raise money for charities.
The site is a place for people to follow charities, causes and fundraisers from around the world in a similar style to Facebook and Twitter. TPO is an ad-free zone and it encourages its users to focus entirely on the cause and fundraisers featured.
The social network is funded by its namesake, the TPO mobile network, which launched in the UK in 2012 and is now available in the US as well.
TPO mobile operates as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). While TPO donates 25 percent of profits to charity and 10 percent of users’ bills to a charity of their choice, it is a for-profit company that distributes this money through its TPO foundation.
The aim of both TPO projects is that by creating a unique way to give money to charities without having to actually do anything substantial, more people will be inclined to donate. They also hope to attract a new demographic of donors through their social efforts.
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